Tufted pile fabric



15, 1960 P. F. MOONAN EI'AL TUFTED FILE FABRIC Filed June 15, 1956FIE.4.

Q QHHQHH HUN. i' g veg gye9999 INVENTORSZ PHILIP E -MOONAN JOHN E. SMIT?av 1 z ,ATT-Y.

3 Sheets-Sheet l March 15, 1960 MOONAN ETAL 2,928,099

TUFTED PILE FABRIC Filed June 15. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5. Q

/ INVENTORSI PHILIP F MOONAN 1 JOHN E. SMIT BY ATTY.

March 15, 1960 MOONAN ETAL 2,928,099

TUFTED PILE FABRIC 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 15,1956

. mvzu'ronsz PHILIP E MOONAN JOHN E. SMITH ATT ' and drawings in which-2,928,099 I I 'TUFTEID PILE FABfRic I I Philip F. Moonan, Philadelphia,an E. slain, Norristown, Pa., assignors to James Lees and Sons Company,Bridgeport, Pa., a corporation of Penn'- sylvania r ApplicationJune 15,1956, Serial No." 591,756

1 Claim. (Cl.'-2--'-278) This invention pertains to tufting machines ofthe t'ype used to manufacture tufted floor coverings and more particularly to an attachment for such a machine which enables a pattern tobe made in the fabric.

I I 2,928,099 Patented 'Mar. 15, 1960 'tra'sting color with one colorbeing threaded through .every other needle in the tufting machine andthe other color being'threaded through alternate needles.

"Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which a loop pilefabric is illustrated by way of example,

- the leaf design shown in Fig. 1 comprises raised pile areas 10, 10which form the leaves, and lower pile areas 11, 11 which form thebackground of the design. In the present case'the raised'areas 10, 10are formed of high loops 12, 12 (Fig. 2) and the background areas 11, 11

are formed of intermediate height loops 13, 13. The

yarn for loops 12 and 13 should be of contrasting colors so that theloops;13', 13 in the high pile areas 10, 10 are effectively concealed bythe higher contrasting color loops 12, '12. In a similar manner theintermediate'height loops 13, 13 conceal the low loops 12', 12' in theback- Various devices are currently employed for providing patterneffects in tufted carpet. Many such devices utilize means for varyingthe tension on selected warp pile ends to provide high and low pileareas in accordance with a predetermined design. I I

The present invention carries forward this idea by utilizing a constantfeed device for selected'warpends which provides a background of pile ata uniform intermediate height. Other pile is intermingled with theground area so that a two color design or effect is achieved withouteliminating any of the face yarn. Itvwill be understood, of'course, thatin a tufting machine operation all needles which are threaded continueto form pile during the tufting operation because it is impossible orimpractical to cut-out certain needles in speified'design areas toprovide a pattern. The results achieved have been highly satisfactoryand it has been foundlthat substantially complete concealment of thelower pile. can be achieved in the above manner. The

uniform intermediate height pile so that'in high'pile' areas theintermediate height pile is hidden, and in lowerpile or background areasthe intermediate pile in turn hides low pile. 7 I

A further object of the invention is to provide a tufted pile fabrichaving a series of differently coloredpile ends, one of the colors beinghidden beneath the Either color in certain selected areas and vice versain other areas.

A further object of the invention-is to provide a loop piletufted-fabric having high-loop areas interspersed with intermediateheight loop areas whereby colored high loops conceal the intermediateloops.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tufted loop pilefabric in which high loops conceal intermediate height loops in certainareas and in other areas the intermediate height loops concealintermingled low loops.

:1 method for weaving a multi-color pile fabric in which the variouslycolored pile ends alternately conceal each other. Further objects willbe, apparent from the specification Fig. 1 is a top view of abfabricconstructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional design as seen at 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view as seen at 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view as seen at 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the tufting ma chine mechanism toprovide the fabric of Figs. 1-4,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of a part of the structure of Fig. 5, a

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the-tufting machine, and I I Fig. 8 is asideview of the structure of Fig. 7.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of a pair of.feedrollers for a pattern tufting machine which I supply selected yarn endsto the tufting machine needlesv at a constant speed and tension, thusproviding a series of pile tufts or loops of substantially equal height.An

additional pile height control apparatus varies theten sion on otherselected pile ends to produce pile tufts or loops either higher or lowerthan the first uniform height loops and in accordance with apredetermined pattern. Preferably the two sets of pile are of conpresence-of the lower pile in all of the areas adds weight and body tothe fabric while at the same time permitting the visible 'face" color ofthe pile to alternate between two or more different: colors. To providevthe high and low loops in selected pile endsas shown in Fig. 3, weutilize a pattern tension control mechanism to be described more fullyhereinafter, the subject matter of which forms no part 1 of the presentin-' vention. In addition to the high and low'pile shown in Fig. .3, wethreadselected needles, which may be every other. needle, with yarn of acontrasting color to provide spaced rows of pile having uniform heightas shown inFig. .4. The pile is tufted into a conventional backingfabric- 14 shown schematicallyin Figs. 2-4.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, the I conventionaltufting machine for carpets and the like includes a 'needle motionconsisting of a crankshaft 20 to 2 which a plurality of connecting rods21, 21 are secured A stillfurther object of the invention is to provide-45 suitable housing 26 which is mounted over. the bed 27 of the tuftingmachine. The backing fabric feeds from-a supply, not shown, around atension roll 28, a pin feed roll 29, across the bed 27, over guide roll30 and pin take up roll 31. From thence the fabric passes around atension roll 32 to the take up (not shown). A plurality of loopers 35mounted on a rock shaft 36 cooperate to form and/or cut the pile as itis inserted through the backing fabric 14 by needles 23.

The pile yarn is supplied from a creel, not shown,

through a feed and tensioning device 40 which comprises paddles havinginterdigitating blades 41 and 42., The pile yarn then passes through aseparator guide 43 so that the yarn ends 44 of one color pass around andthrough a feeding reel '45 and individual tensioning elements 46.

The formation of to utilized a tension assembly 46 (Fig. 6 whichcomprises a stationary U-shaped channel 50 having yarn end guidingapertures 51 and 52. A movable block or sinker A 53 is free to travel upand down in the member 50 between limits determined by setscrews 54 and55. The sinkers 53 are connected through springs 56 individually or in agroup to a bank of solenoids one of which is designated 57 by means ofcords 58. In a tie-energized condition solenoids 57 permit the sinkers53 to drop, thus aligning the guide aperturesil and 52 with an aperture59 in the sinker. Under these conditions no tension is applied to theyarn 44 and high pile is formed.

A pattern tape 69 (Fig. 5) is driven in timed relation to the operationof the tufting machine by means of one or two pattern rollers 61 and 62.Roller 61 is provided with pins 63, 63 for engaging one edge of thepattern tape and the tape is either cutout or provided with electricallyconductive areas which permit an electrical cir-r cuit to be closed atcertain intervals between contact arms 64 and 65.

relay 66 which has its armature winding 67 connected across transformer68 which is in turn connected to a thus to. enhance control. The yarn 75then passes through guides 47, 48, and 49 to alternate or designatedneedles 23. The constant speed rolls '76 and 77 are journaled in thetufting machine frame upright members. 88 and 81 (Fig. 7) and thedriving connections for these rolls are shown in Fig. 8. A gearreduction unit 82. drives roll 76 and is adjustably held in position bya, turnbuckle 83 com nected to the loom frame member til. The main motor85v drives pulley 86 through belts 87, pulleys 88, 89, and.

belt 90; This drive insures a constant speed for the rolls 76 and 77 butthe speed of the rolls may be. adjusted by means of the variable speedpulley 86. Since the :yarn ends 75 by-pass the individual sinkers 53,53, the height of the pile tufts or loops formed from yarn ends 75.

Closing of the circuit between contact arms 65 and d5 energizes selectedsolenoids 57 through seasons I "depends entirely on the rate of feed ofrollers 76 and "77.

By threading the needles alternately with yarn ends 44 and 75, amplecoverage for the lower height pile, whether it be intermediate or low,can be obtained.

1; The apparatus is simple, effective, and capable of accurateadjustment to provide whatever pattern effect may be desired. If felt tobeimportant, the height of the intermediate loops can be adjusted sothat it would be the same height as loops 12', 12 'to provide a moresqueappearance to the background, or all high pile may be provided to givethe same effect in the pile areas .10, 10. Obviously the invention isnot necessarily limited to three pile heights but can be used with agreater number of pile heights should the design so specify.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

, A tufted pile fabric comprising a backing material haviug a pluralityof warpwise rows of pile projections, a continuous uncut pile yarn endin each warpwise row, alternate continuous uncut pile yarns being ofuniform height throughout the lengthQand width of the fabric, andintermediate continuous uncut pile yarns being of variable height, saidvariable height yarns having high pile projections extending in someareas higher than the uniform height projections and low pileprojections in other areas lower than the uniform height loops, theuniform height loops in some of said areas being closely spaced to andoverlapping the other projections in said areas to-provide a dense pile.structure and support for the hi ,er projections in said areatherebypreventing crushirig of the pile.

Reterences Cited-in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

